IT is said that history is written by those who are victorious in controlling the narrative and to a large degree in this era of multimedia outlets that is still true.
Yesterday the electorate of Scotland went to the polls in what is arguably the most important, most crucial and without doubt most life-changing election to be held for our parliament.
We know now what is at stake, we know now that if we fail to return an independence-supporting government then the powers of Holyrood will be torn from our grasp by an unfettered, unchecked and brutally uncaring Conservative and Unionist majority government in Westminster. With those wrenching of powers will go all dreams, hopes and aspirations of Scotland becoming a free, independent and socially just nation.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon deals with far-right extremists at Glasgow polling station
Returning a government that is pro-independence will place Downing Street in an impossible position regarding a referendum because to refuse it would be to go against the democratic will of the electorate. We have seen on numerous occasions that Johnson and the fourth-rate village councillors that sit as his Cabinet are leading experts at soundbites and playing to the Tory voters of the shires but crumble with remarkable ease when tackled on their misdirection.
It will be up to Downing Street to legally find that Scotland cannot hold a referendum even though the Smith Commission Report clearly states that nothing contained in that report prevents Scotland seeking a second referendum should that be desired. Remember we do not need the majority of voters to get a majority government – that task of convincing the majority will come at the referendum.
We are truly living in historic days. Let us not be found wanting by the generations as yet unborn.
Cliff Purvis
Veterans for Independence 2.0
ISN’T it amazing that English commentators still talk about the Barnett Formula as being some sort of charitable allowance given to Scotland? They ignore the fact that the formula has been carefully calculated to take into account Scotland’s contribution to the UK coffers and is in no way an allowance.
Something that is an allowance, which nobody seems to talk about, is London weighting. This is an allowance that was introduced in the 1920s and has greatly increased over the years since.
READ MORE: Unionists seldom tell us what advantages the Union brings us
This allowance gives Londoners extra pay merely for living in London. This extra money has allowed many Londoners to take out mortgages on homes they would otherwise never have afforded. In recent years large numbers of these same people have sold up in London and made massive profits on the sale of their homes.
There are many examples of ordinary working-class people taking early retirement on the profits that they made on their property and moving from terraced houses in London and buying big expensive houses elsewhere, many in Scotland.
Perhaps when Scotland becomes independent the London weighting will have to stop due to the English Westminster Parliament not affording the allowance without Scotland’s contribution.
Harry Key
Largoward, Fife
IT’S not just that we haven’t realistic plans in place for a currency come independence. We need a plan that allows us to control our own destiny.
Equally if not more important is that we have no sign that the SNP have yet drafted a constitution setting out the limits of government powers. Without this we leave open the possibility of a MacBoris using his/her parliamentary majority to ride roughshod over the people.
This week you reported that Westminster’s Boris needs £300,00 per annum to keep his head above water whilst his PM’s salary is a mere £157,372. It would seem he’ll break whatever rules there may be to make up the difference.
Here, Douglas Ross – MP, referee, leader of the Scottish Tories – is hoping to add a third job as an MSP and he’ll probably think he can up his income by adding more jobs as necessary.
A constitution for an independent Scotland could prevent this nonsense, limit our MSPs’ income to their salary and prevent them from taking paid advisory roles with outside interests. Come the referendum campaign, the role of the constitution must become central. It can be used to demonstrate that sleaze is not acceptable and that it will be the people and not the government who will have the power to amend it.
The first act of the independent government should be to adopt the draft constitution and set the date for a referendum to accept it. This will put forward a quality management system, aka constitution, which defines how government works and the rules it must follow.
Yesterday was just the beginning of this new road.
Catriona Grigg
Embo
DOES the gun-boats-around-Jersey affair count as electoral interference by the Elysee? Surely not.
Bill Ramsay
via email
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